WASHINGTON: Walmart has agreed to pay $50 million to settle federal allegations involving unlawful opioid and controlled-substance prescriptions at its pharmacies.
The US Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration announced the agreement on August 28. The case alleged that Walmart Inc. violated the Controlled Substances Act through its pharmacy and compliance operations.
Federal prosecutors originally filed the complaint in December 2020. They later amended it in 2022 in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.
According to the Justice Department, Walmart pharmacies filled thousands of prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose. Prosecutors also alleged that some prescriptions came from doctors operating so-called “pill mills.”
Meanwhile, the government said Walmart’s compliance staff knew about concerns involving certain prescribers. However, some pharmacies continued filling prescriptions linked to them.
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Court filings also detailed Walmart’s controlled-substance distribution activity. Between June 2013 and November 2017, the company shipped about 37.5 million controlled-substance orders to its pharmacies.
During that period, prosecutors said Walmart reported only 204 suspicious orders to the DEA. The settlement resolves those federal claims. However, the Justice Department stressed that the allegations did not result in a determination of liability.
Under a separate agreement with the DEA, Walmart must strengthen its monitoring systems. First, the company will establish a hotline for employees and patients to report suspected illegal dispensing. It must also monitor dispensing patterns across its pharmacies.
Additionally, Walmart will create a process to review doctors suspected of improper prescribing. DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz said the agreement addresses past conduct while adding safeguards designed to prevent similar failures
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In 2022, Walmart previously announced a separate nationwide opioid settlement framework worth up to $3.1 billion. That agreement covered claims brought by state, local and tribal governments.
Meanwhile, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention data show that about 806,000 people died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2023. That figure includes both prescription and illicit opioids.
